Bridge for sidewalks



(No Model.)

I O.T.FORD.

BRIDGE FOR SIDEWALKS.

Patent ed Feb. 15, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. FORD, OF CENTRAL VALLEY, NEW YORK.

BRIDGE FORSIDEWALKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 1 atent No. 599,037, datedFebruary 15, 1898. Application filedApril 29, 1897; seri l no; 634,369,(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, CHARLES '1. FORD, acitizen of the United States,residing'at. Central Valley, in the county of Orange and State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges forSidewalks, of which the following is a full and complete specification,such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. r

This invention relates to bridges for sidewalks and streets; and theobject thereof is to provide anvimproved device of this class which isadapted for use in cities and towns and by means of which heavy packagesof freight and other material may be moved over the sidewalk or streetwithout interfering with a the use thereof.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, incwhich the separate partsof my improvement are designated" by the same numerals of reference ineach of the views, and in which- I Figure 1 is a sectional side view ofmy improvement; Fig. 2, a plan view with part of or arch are rolled ontoone end thereof and the construction broken away, and Fig. 3 a bottomplan view of a detail of the construction.

In the practice of myinven tion I provide a horizontal base 5,which isadapted to rest upon the pavement or street, transversely thereof, andwhich consists of a top plate provided with downwardly-directed sides orflanges 6,

and secured to the opposite ends thereof in any desired manner is anarch 7, which is also provided with downwardly-directed side plates orflanges 8, and the main portion of the arch 7 is cut away centrally orprovided with a longitudinal slot or opening 9.

Mounted at each end ofthe horizontal base 5 is a roller 10, and passingaround the entire structure, consisting of the base 5, the arch 7, andthe rollers 10, is an endless chain 11. The endless chain 11 consists ofseparate links12, which are hinged together on their under sides, asshown at 13, or connected in any desired manner, and the alternate linksof this chain are provided at, each end with rollers 14, and theserollers 14 move on the opposite side walls of the longitudinal slotroropening in the arch 7, and I may also provide guides 7 to hold the chain11 in position,and

mounte'd centrally of the arch 7 is a supplemental shaft'20, which isprovided at its'opposite ends with sprocket-wheels 21, and the shafts 15and 20 are geared in connection by means of adrive-chain 22, incombination with sprocket-wheels 22, mounted on said shafts.

The sprocket-wheels 16 and21 are adapted to operate in connection withthe rollers 14 at the opposite sides of the endless chain 11, and saidrollers 14 form supports for said end- .1ess'ch'ain, and the operationwill be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the'following statementthereof. l

The packages to be moved overthe bridge rest upon the endless chain 11,and the crank 19 is then operated to carry the said endless chain aroundthe structure, and in this operation the said packages will be carriedover the bridge, as will be readily understood.

It will be understood that the shaft 15 may be provided at each end witha crank or crank mechanism, if desired, and also that an ordinary idlermay be used between the gearwheel 17 and pinion 18 in order to enablethe operator to face in the opposite direction, and

the separate parts of the bridge, including the base 5 and the arch 7,maybe constructed in any desired manner and may be composed of separateparts, if preferred, and it will thus be seen that changes in andmodifications of the construction herein described may be made withoutdeparting from thespirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

The base'5 and arch 7 may be divided transversely, if desired, and theseparate parts thereof hinged together, and the connection between theends of the arch 7 and the base the chain is made wide enough to permitthe IOO packages to be moved to be placed between the rollers 14 at thesides of the chain, and I have also shown the arch 7 as composed ofseparate parts hinged together at 23.

Having fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A bridge for sidewalks and streets, comprising abase, and an arch connected therewith, said base and said arch beingprovided with rollers at their opposite ends, an endless chain whichpasses around said base, said arch and said rollers, said chain beingcomposed of separate transverse links hinged together at their undersides, and each alternate link being provided at its opposite ends withrollers, and means for moving said chain, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. A bridge for sidewalks and streets, comprising a base, and an archconnected therewith, said base and said arch being provided with rollersat their opposite ends, an endless chain which passes around said base,said arch and said rollers, said chain being composed of separatetransverse links hinged together at their under sides, and eachalternate link being provided at its opposite ends with rollers, andmeans for moving said chain, consisting of two sprocket-wheels which aregeared in connection, and one of which is mounted in the central upperportion of the arch, and the other in said arch adjacent to one endthereof, substantially as shown and described.

3. The herein-described bridge for sidewalks, comprising a horizontalbase 5, consisting of a top plate provided with downwardly-directedsides or flanges 6, an arch 7, secured to the opposite ends thereof andwhich is also provided with downwardly-directed side plates or flanges8, the main portion of the arch 7 being cut away centrally whereby anopening 9 is formed, a roller 10 mounted at each end of the horizontalbase 5, and an endless chain 11 mounted thereon, the endless chain 11,consisting of separate links 12, hinged together on their under sides at13, and the alternate links being provided with rollers 14:, adapted tomove on the opposite side walls of the longitudinal slot and a guide 7,whereby the said chain is held in position, said links being providedwith projecting pins 12, and means for operating said chain,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The herein-described bridge for sidewalks, comprising a horizontalbase 5, consisting of a top plate provided with downwardly-directedsides or flanges 6, an arch 7, secured to the opposite ends thereof andwhich is also provided with downwardly-directed side plates or flanges8, the main portion of the arch 7 being cut away centrally whereby anopening 9 is formed, a roller 10, mounted at each end of the horizontalbase 5 and an endless chain 11 mounted thereon, the endless chain 11,consisting of separate links 12, hinged together on their under sides at13, and the alternate links being provided with rollers 14, adapted tomove on the opposite side walls of the longitudinal slot and a guide 7whereby the said chain is held in position, said links being providedwith projecting pins 12 and means for operating said chain, consistingof a shaft 15 mounted upon said arch and provided with twosprocketwheels 16, and the gear-Whee117, a pinion 18 supported adjacentto said gear-wheel on a suitable shaft which is provided with a crank19, a supplemental shaft 20, mounted centrally of said arch 7, andprovided at its opposite ends with sprocket-wheels 21, and the shafts 15and 20, being connected by a drivechain 22, in combination" withsprocketwheels 22, which are mounted thereon, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 26th day of April,1897.

CHAS. T. FORD.

Witnesses:

O. GERsr, A. G. VAN BLARCOM.

